Chapter 53: As Everyone Knows, Fairy Tail Is the Darkest Entity on This Continent

Fairy Tail Guild.

At the bar located deep within the guild, Master Makarov of Fairy Tail was sitting cross-legged, a bottle in his hand, watching Ian, who sat beside him, quietly sipping his drink. In a casual, conversational tone, Makarov said softly, "Ian, I've been watching your training sessions with those troublemakers in the guild these past few days. While it's true that the results are evident, they're still just kids. Isn't it a bit too much to train them like this?"

Makarov always believed in letting things flow naturally…

He wasn't particularly fond of Ian's systematic style of training.

After all, magic itself was supposed to be free.

"Master, I think your worries are completely unnecessary..." Ian responded with a smile.

"If this training were for the mages of other guilds, yes, it might be unsuitable."

"After all, their talent and mental fortitude might not withstand such intensity."

"But for our guild's energetic brats..."

"Trust me, they'll be just fine."

"After all, it's better for them to pour all their energy into honing their magic and exploring the mystic arts…"

"Rather than channeling it into destroying towns or causing trouble under Fairy Tail's banner, right?!"

Ian paused after these words, giving Makarov a sideways glance. He posed a pointed question, "Master Makarov, you're the guild master here. Don't you understand the sheer potential and destructive power of these little monsters you've taken in? Isn't it better to keep them confined to Magnolia than let them roam free and cause mayhem?"

"Of course, if you think your purse is still too full..."

"If the money we've made lately is burning a hole in your pocket and you want to lighten your load, then just say the word."

"I'll pretend my magic training plan never existed!"

"I'll send these restless kids away on missions…"

"And what might happen to this kingdom then?"

"Well, I can't say for sure…"

Ian finished his words in one breath and downed his glass of white alcohol in one gulp. Ah, yes—nothing felt as satisfying as this drink.

Indeed, Ian wasn't a demon; he was a restraint.

He was a shackle, binding the monsters capable of destroying the world to Fairy Tail, binding them to Magnolia Town.

"Er…"

"Well, let's forget about that then."

The thought of the brats from the guild running wild outside Magnolia made Makarov shiver.

If that happened, wouldn't the Magic Council have him attending meetings every day?!

One or two times would be understandable.

But if it kept happening, what of Makarov's dignity?

"Actually, I think, Ian, your training plan could be even tougher."

"As long as they don't die, train them to their limits!"

"More sweat now means less blood later."

Makarov had finally come around.

"See, that's the spirit~"

"Just leave it to me."

Ian smiled and raised his glass.

Makarov followed suit, lifting his glass as well.

The two, one old and one young, clinked glasses lightly and drained their drinks in silence.

All unspoken, yet fully understood.

And then…

Time flew by.

Months passed in the blink of an eye.

The calendar turned to late August, and then early September.

Only a month remained until the annual festival on October 7th.

Magic Council Headquarters.

"It's strange, isn't it? Fairy Tail has been unusually quiet these past few months."

"Not at all like their usual way of doing things."

"Could they be planning something big?!"

A council member who was familiar with Fairy Tail's way of doing things sat in his seat, a frown etched across his face.

Honestly, if Fairy Tail behaved like they usually did—causing small incidents every three days and bigger trouble every few weeks—he could deal with it.

But when Fairy Tail stopped causing trouble entirely, that was what worried him.

When something unusual happens, there must be a reason.

Fairy Tail's calm demeanor made the councilor frown...

He had a gut feeling that this inherently troublesome guild was up to something big.

That this calm was simply the calm before a storm, and that everything was just an illusion.

However, was that really the case?

If Ian were present, he would give that councilor a thumbs up and say with a smile, "Aha! You guessed it!"

Ahem…

Yes, Fairy Tail would never let people down.

The Magic Council's highest security prison, BLACK VOX.

Anyone imprisoned here was no ordinary villain—they were all ruthless and dangerous.

Similarly, the prison's security was at the highest level...

To date, no one on the continent had ever successfully escaped from here.

But today, the entire prison blared with red flashing alarms.

Shrill warning sirens echoed through the facility.

"This is bad…"

"There's been a breakout!"

"Repeating, there's been a breakout!"

"All guards assemble immediately; do not let the prisoner escape!"

Hundreds of guards armed with anti-magic devices carved with sealing spells rushed through the prison in panic. They stared in shock at the prison cell that had been forcibly broken from the outside, yelling in disarray.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down."

The appearance of an old man restored order among the guards. This elder was a member of the Magic Council and also the warden of BLACK VOX—Torch Endeavour, who had once been saved by Ur and Gildarts.

"Little Wade, tell me, whose cell was broken into?"

Torch Endeavour frowned as he looked at his deputy.

"Er, the cell that was destroyed by an intruder… it was the one holding Brian, the former Director of the Magic Power Development Bureau…"

"Because Ur from the 'Ten Saints' completely destroyed his magic source, turning Brian into an ordinary man, we didn't assign more people to guard him."

"I didn't expect this oversight to lead to such irreparable consequences. Warden Endeavour, I'm willing to take full responsibility for this incident."

Little Wade, the man addressed, bowed deeply to Torch Endeavour.

"No!"

"Now isn't the time to discuss responsibility…"

"The priority right now is to capture this escaped bastard."

Torch frowned, having no immediate intention of blaming his subordinate. After all, any problem that could be fixed wasn't truly a problem.

Simultaneously, Torch Endeavour couldn't shake off a sense of unease—Brian's escape felt too orchestrated.

It seemed as if the person behind the jailbreak had no malice toward their prison and merely intended to break Brian out.

After all, given the strength of the mysterious intruder who managed to rescue Brian without anyone noticing…

If that individual bore any ill will toward the prison, even slightly, this supposedly impenetrable facility—the largest magic prison under the Magic Council—could have been utterly destroyed.

"Lord Torch, we found a letter."

At that moment, one of the guards found a letter inside Brian's broken cell and handed it to Torch Endeavour.

"Hmm?"

Seeing that it was addressed specifically to him, Torch Endeavour realized it was intended for his eyes only.

"This is…"

After reading the letter, Torch immediately used his flame magic to burn it to ashes. He then looked anxiously at the guards around him and asked, "Has anyone else besides me seen this letter?"

"Uh, no."

The guard shook his head after a moment of hesitation.

"Good."

Torch Endeavour sighed in relief.

Then, his expression turned serious as he continued, "The matter with Brian ends here. He's just an ordinary person now, his magic destroyed by Lady Ur. He won't get far. He may already be dead out there—for after all, beyond these prison walls lies nothing but endless desert. Without magic or a flying vehicle, he'll never reach any town."

"This…"

The guards were stunned by Torch's words but dared not argue. After all, within this prison, Torch Endeavour's word was absolute.

"What on earth is Fairy Tail up to?"

After handling everything, Torch Endeavour sighed helplessly.

In truth, the letter's content was simple. It merely revealed the identity of the one behind the jailbreak and explained the reason.

Yes, it was Fairy Tail that broke into the prison, and as for the reason?

At the same time…

Not far from the BLACK VOX prison, on a sand dune…

"Wake up, Director."

Ian, dressed in a fitted coat, poured a jug of ice-cold water over the person he had just broken out of the prison.

"Ugh…"

"You? You're…?"

"You… aren't you the one who instantly overpowered 'Zero'? That ridiculously overpowered guy?"

Brian slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing Ian before him, his expression was one of shock.

"I've already been ruined by you. 'Zero' is dead too."

"What more do you want from me?"

Brian stared at Ian warily, demanding answers.

"I need you to help me improve the Magic Amplifier…"

"The amplifier you guys used at the Magic Development Bureau is too weak. I need something much stronger."

Ian looked at Brian and spoke softly.

"What did you say?"

"You think that level of amplifier is weak?"

"If I strengthen it any more, it'll turn into a torture device!"

"Are you planning to interrogate someone?"

Brian raised an eyebrow, looking at Ian with disbelief.

"Of course not."

"I want an enhanced amplifier for my guildmates."

Ian shook his head, responding honestly.

"Do they owe you their lives?"

Brian was taken aback.

"Nope! I'm just doing it for their benefit."

Ian found Brian's misunderstanding rather amusing.

"Why did I provoke these guys back then?"

Hearing Ian's answer, Brian's mouth hung open.

He finally understood who exactly he had crossed four years ago.

This was a group of people willing to push their comrades to the brink…

If they could be so ruthless to their allies…

What about someone like him?

Thinking this, Brian couldn't help but feel that his past defeat was justified.

It wasn't that his darkness—his own or 'Zero's—was weak; it was that they had simply been unlucky enough to encounter the greatest darkness of the Ishgar Continent.

"This is the Fairy Tail Guild of mages?"

Brian muttered in lingering fear.

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